Will use ‘any strategy’ to defeat Sharif’s PML-N in polls: Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD, June 27 (PTI): Imran Khan, contesting the general elections from five constituencies across Pakistan, has declared that his party would use ‘any strategy’ to defeat Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N and win the July 25 polls.

The 65-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, who seems to have the backing of the powerful military, is Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a political party he launched in 1996.

He is contesting the general elections from five constituencies of the National Assembly.

Khan will be contesting elections from Bannu constituency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Islamabad II in the Capital Territory, Mianwali I and Lahore IX in Punjab province and Karachi in Sindh province.

In an interview to Geo News aired last night, Khan made it clear that the party would use “any strategy” that would help it defeat PML-N and win the elections.

Asked about possible seat adjustments with parties such as Awami Muslim League and PML-Q that he had previously criticised, Khan said, “perhaps I have the best training when it comes to competing since I have been a sportsman. The strategy is to win the match and our [PTI’s] match is against PML-N.”

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party was recently in power until the appointment of an Interim Government led by former Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk for the upcoming elections.

“We will adopt every strategy that will help us defeat PML-N,” he said, adding that including people from other parties to the PTI and seat adjustments were all part of the main goal: to win the elections.

“We will also do seat adjustments where we feel PTI doesn’t have a strong candidate against PML-N but some other anti-N League candidate can win the seat.”

Asked about the protests from party veterans over the selection of so-called “electables” in constituencies across the country, Khan defended the choice of candidates.

There was a “misconception” that change wasn’t taking place because of the same old faces. “It’s not about the ‘electables’; it’s about the leaders at the top.”

“Even if you bring angels under Nawaz [Sharif] or [Asif Ali] Zardari, it won’t make a difference,” he said, going after the top PML-N and PPP leaders.

“It is the leader who gets rid of corruption. If the leader is strong, so will be the nation,” he said.

Khan alleged that the Sharif brothers – Nawaz and Shehbaz – are after his personal life as they have nothing against him when it comes to corruption.

“Nobody is an angel and everyone has flaws. I have been in politics for 22 years now and they [Sharifs and opponents] keep attacking my personal life.

Either they come after the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital or they talk about Sita White and Jemima [Goldsmith].”

He alleged that the PML-N leaders were behind his former wife Reham Khan’s upcoming book on her personal experiences as a “mother, wife, journalist and warrior”.

In the book, she says Imran is not ‘sadiq and amin’ (honest and righteous) as he kept his third marriage to faith healer Bushner Maneka under wraps for two months.

When asked about the controversy over the book with a simple yes or no answer, Khan said: “It’s a non issue. Why would I answer this? Is Imran Khan being honest with the country’s money? That’s the only issue at the moment.”

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